Trust you to lead me back home
by Kira Pheonix
Summary: AU based on 3x05- The Reckoning. What if Damon had come back earlier? What if he drops by the school and finds out Stefan's been compelled to feed from Elena?
1. Chapter 1

So this is an AU story. I was kinda bummed due to the lack of Stefan/Damon scenes AGAIN... and it got me wondering how different things would have been if he was there. I'm thinking of making this a multi-chaptered story but I need to get ideas rolling first. So this is the prologue of sorts, I guess you can say.

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><p>It's taking everything in him not to lunge, to pounce. It's Elena, his Elena..and now, his next prey.<p>

He's curled up on the ground. Agony spreads through his body as he tries so hard to fight the compulsion. All he can think about is Elena, the tantalizing arch of her neck, how sweet her blood would taste, how easy it would be to sink his fangs into her flesh and just take and take and _take_.

He can hear her running, sees her slip through the door and disappear out of his sight.

He growls because that's not good enough. He can_ smell_ her.

His body lurches forward and he follows her into the school hallway. He slams himself repeatedly to the lockers, the pain grounding him for a while. It buys Elena time to get away, but she needs to run faster.

_Run faster, Elena, please, please please_…

He moans as a fresh wave of pain runs through him. He slides down the lockers, panting. The longer he fights the compulsion, the more excruciating the pain. He wants to give in so bad, because it _hurts_.

But he can't. Not now. Not after everything.

So he stops. He just stops and curls himself into a ball in the middle of the deserted hallway. His fingernails bite into his hands as he refuses to listen to his feet's insistent tug towards Elena, drawing blood.

"No, no, no, no, no," he mumbles repeatedly to himself, squeezing his eyes shut. He slams his head against one of the lockers when a sudden spike of pain stabs at him. He bites his tongue hard to stop himself from screaming. He's never felt anything like this. Every inch of him is just dying to listen to Klaus, to obey.

The harder he struggles, the stronger the pull. He curls into himself even more, arms locked tight around him. He doesn't know anything anymore, just constant pain. His surroundings are hazy to him, nothing but mere shadows.

He shuts Elena out of his mind. He can't think about her. Thinking of her will only make the thirst stronger. He desperately searches his mind for something to anchor him.

Damon.

Where the hell is Damon? He should be here. He's supposed to look out for….

Stefan whimpers. It's like his insides are burning.

He needs Damon, he thinks foggily. Damon would know what to do. Damon always knows what to do.

"Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon," he whispers, holding on to the mantra with his life.

And maybe it's in his mind, but somehow, the pain lessens just a little.

Damon will come. Damon always comes for him. Even after he screwed up, after everything he's done, Damon always comes back for him.

He just has to wait. He can do that. He'll wait. Stefan drops his forehead to the cold tiles and breathes out.

"Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon…"

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><p>So what do you guys think? Should I continue? Does it make sense that fighting against the compulsion would cause the body a lot of pain?<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

First of all, I just want to say thank you for all the awesome comments you guys gave to me. I was honestly really surprised by the amount of responses I got and it definitely made me want to write even more. So thanks again!

OK, I'm really nervous about this chapter, mainly because it's in Elena's Pov. I have nothing against her, honestly, and I think she's beautiful. I guess I just can't really connect with her character as much as I do with the others. Does that make sense? Haha.

So this will turn out to be either moderately okay or just plain horrible. I did really try my best though so don't hate me too much guys.

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><p>Never in a millions years did she ever think she would find herself running <em>away<em> from Stefan. It just never crossed her mind before. Now though, as she's running for her life, she's forced to accept this harsh reality.

Her feet move without direction. She doesn't know where she's heading. She just knows she needs to get away. She darts past the classes, ignores the throbbing pain on her neck and the loud sound of her shoes pounding against the floor. Her heart is beating so fast, it's like there are drums playing in her.

She doesn't know where Stefan is, how close behind her he is. She heard a crashing sound a few minutes ago but she doesn't dare look back to investigate. She takes a left turn and runs straight towards the cafeteria doors. She needs to get out of here.

She pushes the doors open.

Almost immediately she crashes into something and hands grip her elbows tight.

Terrified out of her mind, she screams and struggles to get away.

"Whoa, whoa, Elena! Stop, stop..it's me!"

She looks up into dark eyes and nearly collapses in relief.

"Damon?" she gasps out.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt? What happened?" Damon looks up and down at her, trying to see if she's hurt. His eyes narrows into slits as he focuses on the blood her neck.

He opens his mouth but before he could get a word in, Elena speaks first.

"Klaus is here." She rushes to explain, words stumbling. "And so is Stefan. He compelled Stefan to feed from me but he's fighting it. He told me to run. He can't help himself. We need to help him, Damon." Her voice takes on a hysterical tone, eyes wide in panic.

Damon's grip on her becomes even tighter, almost painful. "Klaus knows you're alive?"

"Yes, I do."

_Oh no._

Elena's wide eyes slide past him. Damon whirls around and finds Klaus leaning against the white wall, arms crosses over his chest, smirk ever present on his face.

"I was wondering when big brother was going to show up," he drawls, pushing himself off the wall and taking a few leisure steps forward.

Keeping a wary eye on the hybrid, Damon himself steps forward, making sure to keep Elena behind him and effectively blocking her from Klaus' view.

Klaus smiles pleasantly at them. "Good to see you again, Damon. You're just in time for the party."

"Some party this is. There's not even any music on." Damon replies back lightly. Elena watches as Damon's shoulders tense and his legs take a wider stance.

A defensive pose, she realizes.

Smile still firmly fixed, Klaus dismisses Damon, cocks his head to the side and raises his voice slightly. "And Elena, still breathing I see. Well, that's certainly a surprise. Stefan must be quite determined."

She moves to stand beside Damon, ignoring his hiss to get back. She glares defiantly at Klaus. "Stefan would never hurt me."

"Mmmm..." he murmurs. "Yes, the only thing stronger than compulsion, it seems, would be his love for you. Quite fascinating, really." Suddenly, his smiles widens, taking an almost menacing edge. "The question is, do you love him just as much?"

"What are you talking about?" A sudden feeling of dread creeps over her. As for Damon, he tenses even more than before.

"There's a reason few manage to break free of compulsion. To fight against it would cause unimaginable pain. One _must_ do as compelled. As soon as the order is given out, it's imbedded in their bones to obey. For those weak-minded, there's not even a thought to do otherwise. For others who are stronger, like Stefan…" he trails off. "Considering he's not bursting through the doors at this moment, he must be fighting the compulsion. Poor lad's probably going out of his mind right now. All that pain certainly can't be good for the body," Klaus finishes, saying it so casually it's as if he's talking about the weather.

Immediately her stomach drops. Horrified, she glances back at the door where she came from. "Stefan," she whispers.

"You bastard," Damon suddenly speaks up. He sounds furious, hands clenching into tight fists, veins popping out of his face. "You knew he was going to fight it. You did it on purpose!"

"Now, now, no need to be so upset," Klaus admonishes, eyes filled with sick amusement. "Stefan will be just fine. I'm sure Elena will be more than happy to step up to the plate and allow dear Stefan a little taste. Won't you, love?" The question is directed right at her. His eyes lock on hers, the challenge crystal clear.

_I can't stop, Elena! _

_A ripper doesn't stop._

_You are dead._

_All I can hear is you heart, pumping blood through your body._

Stefan's earlier words echo in her head, suddenly loud and stifling. She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself, her bravado abandoning her.

She knows exactly what Klaus is saying. She's not stupid. A little taste won't be enough for Stefan. A little taste means offering her neck and praying Stefan can find the strength to stop. A little taste means one more victory for Klaus.

But what other choice does she have?

Klaus has her tied. She's not exactly fond of becoming buffet but she can't just leave Stefan like that. She doesn't fully understand what it means to fight compulsion. She hasn't been through it. But that doesn't matter, because in the end it all boils down to the fact that Stefan's hurt.

And she'll do what's necessary to make it better for him.

Elena opens her eyes just in time to catch the sight of Damon launching himself into Klaus, sending them both crashing into a table.

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><p>Well, that's another chapter done.<p>

Don't worry, I'm just gearing up. Next chapter will feature more hurt Stefan and protective bigbrotherDamon coming to the rescue.

More reviews would be awesome. Pretty please?


	3. Chapter 3

I'm sorry if it took so long to post this next chapter but I've just been super busy. To every single one of you who reviewed and Favorited this fic, as well have it on story or author alert. You guys are awesome! I'm just blown away by the responses I've been getting and it's such an heart-warming feeling, knowing you guys like it.

Okay, so I know I said that there'd be Stefan/Damon interaction but the chapter was so long that I had to cut it and make it into a two parts. This is the first part which has a Tyler/Caroline scene, Klaus/Damon/Elena scenes and the appearance of Bonnie and Matt, though they don't do much yet. I will try to post the second part soon which I promise will have the Stefan/Damon moments you guys have been asking for.

Until then, enjoy!

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><p>"What's taking him so long?" the blonde vampire whines, English accent even more pronounced, her perfectly manicured nails tapping impatiently on the laboratory table.<p>

Okay, seriously, that bitch is getting on her last nerves.

Caroline eyes her darkly from her position where she's huddled close to a trembling Tyler. He has his head buried in her neck and she runs a hand up and down his sweat soaked- back in a soothing gesture, hoping it was enough to keep him calm. He had just woken up a while ago, disoriented and pretty freaked out to learn that he died. Then he freaked out even more when he realized he's turning into a hybrid.

Right now, he's in transition. And it's hurting him. She's starting to realize with a sinking feeling that maybe the other blonde, _Rebekah_ so she introduced herself, is right. There's something wrong with this transition. Something not right. And she's trying really hard not to freak out herself.

This was_ so_ not how she imagined the night would go. This was supposed to be a good night for all of them, a _normal_ night. A night for them to just let loose, have fun, and forget just for a while how messed up each and every one of their lives are. Instead, _another_ psychotic vampire is in town, Tyler got killed and the rest of them are God knows where.

Another violent shudder runs through Tyler and all her focus immediately turns back to him again as she absentmindedly tightens her hold on him. "Shh…you're okay," she says for what seems to be the hundredth time. Maybe if she says it enough, she'll believe it herself.

"..hurt's," Tyler mumbles into her neck. His hands are curled into her shirt, clenching and unclenching at random times, or she suspects, anytime he's in pain.

"I know, baby, I know," she whispers back, closing her eyes tight and pressing a soft kiss to his temple, wishing so badly she could do more for him.

It's funny how this reminds her of nights during full moon, where she would help him through his painful transformation. Then again, maybe not so much. Because at least during full moons she knows what to expect, that Tyler will be fine after the night is over. A little shaky, weak and starving but fine nonetheless.

She doesn't know how tonight is going to end. Or if Tyler is going to survive.

And she really, really, hates not knowing.

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><p>Attacking an Original who has hundreds of years over you and is also a hybrid probably isn't the smartest idea Damon's had, he'll admit. But then again, he was never one for thinking first. He's all about the doing.<p>

The table breaks under their combined weights with a loud noise. Before Klaus could response, Damon punches him twice on the face, putting all his anger and frustration into it. This is the hybrid that took Stefan away. This is the hybrid that's had him chasing his little brother around the freaking country. This hybrid is the root of all the problems in Damon's life right now.

And it feels _really_ good watching his head snap back from the force of his punches.

Before he could get a third punch in, Klaus kicks out from underneath him and he lands a few feet away with a grunt. A following kick in the stomach sends him crashing against the hard wall before he drops in a crumpled heap.

He can dimly hear Elena screaming in the background but he's too busy trying to shake the stars floating around his head. He slowly stands but a hand suddenly grips his throat and he's pushed against the wall and lifted from the ground. He finds himself staring down into Klaus' enraged yellow eyes, at the same time gasping for air.

"You know, I gave my word to your brother that I would not harm you," Klaus says conversationally, hand tightening on the Damon's throat by the second. Bastard doesn't look the slightest bit winded. "However, I doubt Stefan is in the right mind to care about that at the moment. He's probably too lost to even remember his own name by now. Quite a nifty little thing isn't it, compulsion?"

Damon struggles hard against him, the reminder that Stefan's hurt setting him off. He bares his fangs at Klaus, chest heaving, one part to try to draw in air, the other due to pure rage. "I'm going to kill you!"

Klaus actually laughs in his face. "Oh, I doubt you're strong enough to."

"You're right, I'm not," he gasped out. Despite the burning in his lungs, Damon slowly smirks, smug and sure, enjoying the look of surprise and suspicion in the hybrid's eyes. "But Michael is."

It's sort of hilarious how fast the color drains out of Klaus' face. If Damon isn't _still_ being squeezed to death while hanging off the ground, he'd totally be in fits right now.

Damon plows on. "He's back. He knows where you are. And he's coming here. To Mystic Falls. Right. Now."

Okay, so maybe that wasn't all true. Michael doesn't know Klaus is in Mystic Falls. And he's not coming here. And okay, Michael isn't exactly actually even alive at the moment, or at least that's what Katherine told him before when he had called her for updates.

But Klaus doesn't know that. And what Klaus doesn't know will definitely be an advantage for him.

Klaus's jaw tightens, different emotions flashing fast in his eyes. "You're lying," he whispers. Damon doesn't miss the tiny bit of doubt that filters through and he's full blown grinning now, all cocky and smug.

"I'm really not."

For a moment, Klaus just stares at him, looking straight into his eyes, trying to determine if he's telling the truth. Damon stares right back at him, head high and making sure to keep his eyes blank. Klaus' jaw tightens, indecision clear in his eyes.

Klaus is scared, he can see that. This Michael dude must be really something, if Klaus' reaction is anything to go by.

_That's right, asshole. Scared much? What're you gonna do now? _He thinks viciously_._

Then his eyes widens as he's choked even harder than before. Klaus growls right in his face, gone the calm persona he put up before, replaced with pissed off Original hybrid. The next thing he knows, he's flying in the air before he lands. _Hard_.

Damon doesn't know when he'd closed his eyes but he slowly opens one, squinting and looking around the cafeteria. Klaus is gone. He's alive.

_Huh_.

He's sprawled on the ground yet again and Klaus is nowhere to be found.

He ran. _Klaus, _the almighty powerful bad-ass part-vampire part-werewolf freaking _ran_ at the mention of a freaking _name_. Maybe it's the adrenaline rushing through him or the disbelief that Klaus ran like a little girl, but Damon feels laughter bubbling in him and he lets it loose, making no move to get up from his position. It might have come out little bit hysterical but seriously, the night is getting weirder and weirder as it goes.

"Damon!"

He hears the rush of feet coming towards him. He'd almost forgotten about Elena. Looks like Klaus had forgotten about her too in his desperate rush to get away.

"Coward," Damon mutters, finally sitting up with a groan. Shit, everything hurts.

Elena crouches by his side. "Are you okay?" she asks worriedly.

"Peachy."

"Come on." Elena says, grabbing his arm and helping him stand. "Is he gone?"

Damon shrugs, pulling away from her and cracking his neck with a loud pop. "For the time being. You're still alive so he's definitely coming back. But I think we're safe for now, at least until we get a new plan to stop him."

Elena nods, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Right now though, I've got something else to worry about." Damon continues, glancing pointedly at the doors.

Elena pales. "Stefan."

"He's still out there."

"How do you know?" Elena frowns at him.

"Well, if Stefan's fighting the compulsion and he had to be compelled in the first place then it obviously means he's no longer on Team Klaus. Ergo, he's no more of use. Which pretty much makes him disposable. Get where I'm going with this?" he not-so -patiently explains. He doesn't have time for this. Stefan's hurt.

Elena nods, seeming to accept his explanation. He figures that's the end to it. And then-

"So what are we gonna do?"

Damon raises an eyebrow. "_We_?"

Elena narrows her eyes and her voice takes on that stubborn note that really annoys him. "Yes, Damon, _we_."

Here we go again. Damon resists the urge to sigh and smiles pleasantly at the brunette.

"Uh, yeah, no. _I'm_ going to look for my little brother_. You_ are going home."

He waits for the inevitable blowing up from Elena but is interrupted when Bonnie and Matt burst through the doors.

Great. More distractions.

"Are you okay? We heard crashing noises and you screaming." Bonnie rushes towards Elena. She's soaking wet. As a matter of fact, so is Matt, Damon notes as the teenage boy follows her at a slower pace. Interesting.

"I'm fine." Elena tells her reassuringly.

"Decided to go for a swim huh?" He wiggles his eyebrows at him, eyes flicking towards Bonnie and then back to Matt again, watching amusingly as the human just blinks at him, confused. Damon turns his attention to the witch.

"Alright. You're here, Witchy, good. Get her out of here." He says promptly, pointing at Elena and ignoring her scowl.

"What happened to Klaus?" Bonnie asks, wrapping an arm around Elena's shoulder.

"It's a long story and I would love to tell you all about it. Really. But I don't have time for chit-chat right now. All you need to worry your pretty little head about is getting your BFF over here home safely. You think you can handle that?" Maybe that was snappier than he intended it to be. But it's been a really long night, he's pretty sure he has bruises everywhere and he's getting tired of answering all these stupid questions when there are more pressing matters to tend to.

Without waiting for an answer, he turns and starts for the door leading to the hallway. Before he could even get five steps in, something pulls him back. Like, literally. He knows its Elena without having to turn around. He does so anyway, barely managing to hold back his temper.

"I'm going wit-"

"No."

Bonnie and Matt watch them silently, both instinctively knowing that it isn't in their place to interfere.

"He needs me." she insists, eyes shining.

"You're the last person he needs right now."

Elena recoils back, looking the entire world like she's been slapped.

She opens her mouth to protest he cuts in first, voice sharp and low. "Look, I get it. You want to help, Stefan needs you, and he's the love of your life, blah, blah, blah. But right now, you're nothing but a liability, okay? He's been compelled to feed from you. He sees you; we don't know what he's going to do. He's fighting the compulsion, yeah, but how long can he last? No one's that strong, Elena, no matter how much you believe in them. He's suffering enough. You being there will only make things worse."

Seeing her stricken expression, he takes a deep breath to compose himself and tries to ignore the twinge of guilt he feels for being the one to put it there. Maybe he could have put it in better terms, lessen the blow a little bit but in the end, she's got to realize that she can't always be the one doing the saving, especially when it's_ his_ little brother they're talking about. Maybe it's time for someone else to step up to the plate. And God knows Damon's slacked off enough when it comes to Stefan.

Not anymore.

"Just.." he says gently. "trust me. I've already failed him enough times. I'm _not_ going to do it again. I'll bring him home, Elena." He looks straight into her eyes, willing her to understand. He can do this. He _needs_ to do this. "I promise."

Elena stares back at him, face shifting into an unreadable look as she searches his eyes, seeking to see if there's any truth to his words. Something must have eased her because then she takes a step back. A small one, albeit, but the message is clear.

He lets out the breath he doesn't even realize he was holding and nods gratefully at her. Without wasting any more time, he turns and heads out.

He can feel her eyes on his back as he briskly walks but he ignores it easily, mind already narrowing down to one objective only; finding and claiming back what he lost a long time ago.

_Hold on, Stef. I'm coming._

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><p>So...what's you guys think? Reviews?<em><br>_


	4. Chapter 4

I promised a Stefan and Damon scene didn't I? Well, here ya go! Enjoy!

Reviews are very much welcomed. :P

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><p>He finds his brother curled up in the corner on the white pristine floor of the hallway leading to the gym. The lockers around him seem to loom over his small figure, intimidating and Damon can't see his face from where he's standing, rooted to the ground. It doesn't look like Stefan's moving. Damon swore his heart gave a violent lurch at the sight of his still form, mind already jumping to different terrifying possibilities. Without even realizing it, he speeds up to Stefan.<p>

He needs to check if Stefan's aliv-

No. _No_. Of course he's alive. Damon refuses to even think otherwise. Stefan's fine. Just a little broken, nothing that can't be fixed. Nothing Damon can't fix.

Now, that he's kneeling beside him, it becomes clear to him that Stefan is moving. In fact, he's trembling, soft shudders wracking his body and he can hear him mumbling something over and over again and is that his name Stefan's calling?

He can't help the twisting in his stomach as he slowly, almost hesitantly touches Stefan's shoulder. The reaction is instantaneous. Stefan jumps and whines, scrambling backwards so fast his head slams against the one of the lockers with loud bang.

Damon watches, wide-eyed as Stefan groans and clutches his head, pulling at his hair. His head drops down and he begins to rock back and forth at a rhythm only he seems to hear, muttering Damon's name repeatedly again. He doesn't seem to register that Damon's there. He's too lost in his own world.

Damon wants to move. He can hear himself in his own head, that annoying voice some called conscience berating him for just staring dumbly at Stefan as he suffers, yelling at him to do something. But he's just frozen, mind blank. It's like he doesn't have any control over his body, like he's floating out in the open sea and there's nothing to anchor him back to something solid. Because never, in all his years of knowing Stefan, has he seen his brother like this.

Stefan looks _wrecked_.

He's so pale which is saying something considering he'd always been pale to begin with. Damon's heart clenches at the sight of tear tracks going down his cheeks, at the tears still caught in dark lashes, the dark angry shadows under his eyes, how his lips are red and split from how he keeps biting on them, hair disarray even more than usual under the tight grip of his hands. He's hunched into himself, knees brought up to his chest, trying to make himself smaller, as if burying himself deep enough will make everything just a little bit more bearable. His eyes are squeezed shut, absolute misery and pain etched all over his face. Dammit, it's hurting just looking at him; he can't even begin to imagine how Stefan's feeling.

When he sees that Stefan is actually pulling his hair from his head, like literally, small clumps that drop onto the floor, that's when he snaps out of it and makes a move.

"Whoa, whoa, stop, little brother." He reaches forward and grabs Stefan's hands, pulling at them firmly when Stefan tries to struggle away, whimpering. "Stefan, stop."

He just barely manages to avoid the hand that lashes out towards his face and swiftly pulls Stefan to him, then shuffles forward so that Stefan's back is to the locker and both his arms are trapped between them. All the while Stefan doesn't stop fighting, pushing and pulling desperately at him, trying to get away. He still doesn't open his eyes, just lashes out blindly at what he thinks of as a threat. He's sobbing now, loud and utterly heartbreaking. Damon has to bite his lips hard to push back the emotions at seeing his brother like this. As determined as he is, fighting the compulsion took a lot out of him and Damon easily overpowers him, something that's not reassuring at all, considering all the human blood Stefan's been consuming.

"Stefan! It's me, it's Damon!" Seeing no response at all from his brother, Damon growls and grasps Stefan's face till it's only a few inches from his face. "Open your eyes. It's me. Damon." He shakes his brother lightly. "I'm here. It's me. It's Damon." He keeps repeating, hoping the message will get across. _"Il piccolo fratello, lei è sicuro. È appena me. È Damon."_

Stefan freezes. His mouth open and close, but no sound comes out. Then- "Damon?" he whispers shakily, almost like he doesn't believe it, eyes scrunched. Damon blinks at him hard then shakes his head.

Huh. Okay, Italian it is. He's kind of surprised that speaking Italian would get a response out of him. They haven't talked to each other in Italian for years now and he doesn't know why that of all things would get Stefan to listen but right now, he's definitely not complaining.

"_Sì. È Damon. Venire su, Stefan, aprire i suoi occhi. Lei è sicuro, prometto."_

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><p>He's confused. He doesn't know what's happening, where he is. All he knows is pain, just constant pain that refuses won't go away. Why won't it go away?<p>

His hands dig into his own skin, trying to claw the hurt away. He feels wrong, dirty, tainted. He can't take it anymore. It hurts. It hurts.

Something pulls his hands and he flinches away. It comes back, tugging more firmly, trying to move him, and trying to hold him down. It's stifling and all encompassing. A sob or a wail, something dark and powerful and sad builds in his chest and he fights back. _No_. He doesn't want to be controlled anymore. He just wants the pain to stop. He just wants to be left alone. He bucks and punches and claws his way out but he's just so tired and whatever it is gripping him easily wins. He doesn't dare open his eyes. He doesn't want to see.

Something inside him threatens to break wide open. He faintly hears himself sob as he feels the final edges of his control start to slip. He feels himself starting to give in, start to surrender to the dark that wants to swallow him whole. Maybe he should let it. Maybe then he'll have some peace.

Then something encroaches on his space. It's a voice, fluid and low. Familiar. He stills in wonder as the pain fleets away for just a second, like there's something scaring it away. The pain returns not a moment later, yes, but that one second of release, that one second of freedom; it's more than enough to make him _listen_.

"…_È appena me. È Damon."_

It's me. It's Damon.

Damon...

Why does that word sound so familiar? Wait, no, it's not just a word. It's a name.

Damon...

He knows that name, he's sure of it. He forces his brain to work, trying to figure out just what the name signifies, what it represents, what it means to him. The pain is back but he stubbornly pushes it away. He wants, needs to figure this out before it's too late, before the tide pulls him over.

"Damon?" he forces himself to say aloud.

Damon. _Fratello_. _Fratello grande. A casa, la cassaforte, il calore._

The more he repeats it in his head, the more right it sounds. There's a sort of certainty in it, like there's no way it could mean otherwise. That certainty, how he can feel it in his very bones, it settles in him like a blanket, soothing and calming.

Isn't that what he's been waiting for? He can't remember. Isn't that why he's still trying hard to hold on? Isn't that who he's been calling out for?

Yes.

He basks in the relief that filters through him, almost dizzy with how intense it feels.

He wants to laugh now, laugh and howl at the pain that's been mocking him for what feels like forever. He wants to scoff at it, to stick his tongue out at it like a child, to gather it his wary hands and squish it till it's nothing more than dust that will float away, till it's nothing more than a hazy memory that he will be more than happy to forget. He has nothing to fear now.

Because Damon's here. Damon's finally here and Damon will make it all better.

"…_Venire su, Stefan, aprire i suoi occhi. Lei è sicuro, prometto." _The voice coaxes._ Damon_.

Open your eyes. You're safe, I promise.

So Stefan does.

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><p>Damon watches with bated breath as Stefan slowly open his eyes, blinking sluggishly as if he'd just woken up from sleep, eyebrows furrowing slightly. Stefan raises his head and stares blankly at him. There's a beat before recognition fills his wet eyes. Damon stays still even as Stefan starts to draw back, releasing him reluctantly, though he never once takes his eyes off of him, ready at any moment for Stefan to freak out again.<p>

For a moment, they just stare at each other. Stefan is wide-eyed, face pale-strained and he's not blinking, as though afraid that Damon would disappear at any moment. Face twisted with uncertainty, he reaches out jerkily with a hesitant hand, like he wants badly to touch, but then thought better of it and withdrew it.

Damon caught the aborted movement and without hesitation reaches out a hand to rest it on Stefan's wrist. Stefan's stiffens, eyes moving to where the hand is loosely circling his wrist. He takes a shaky breath and closes his eyes in something like relief before suddenly slumping forward, Damon catching him just in time.

Then, he lets out a sound somewhere between a sob and moan as he winds his arms around Damon's back, dropping his head down onto the crook of Damon's neck and clutching the back of his shirt in a death grip.

"_Damon_." He breathes out into Damon's collarbone. Damon feels something clench hard inside of his chest. There's so much emotion in that one word, so much relief and hope. There's reverence in it. There's plead. There's just too much and all he can do is embrace his brother just as tight.

Hours could have passed since he'd found Stefan, he honestly doesn't know. All he knows is they've been kneeling on the floor for a while now and his knees are starting to ache but he doesn't care. He doesn't care because all that's ever mattered to him is here in his arms and he has no intentions of letting go. Ever.

But then Stefan stiffens again and Damon can hear him gasp. The hands on his back clenches.

"Stefan?" Damon asks worriedly.

Stefan lets out a shaky breath and mumbles something so softly that Damon has to strain his ears to catch what he says.

"Make it stop."

Damon frowns and pulls back so that they're face to face. He grimaces at the swollen eyes that meet his. "Make what stop?" he asks gently, wiping the tear rolling down his cheek.

"The pain. It won't go away. Make it stop, Damon." Stefan croaks out, hoarse and shaky. He cast wild, pleading eyes at him, wordlessly begging for Damon to understand, to do something. He tugs at Damon's shirt, mouth twisting.

Of course, the compulsion. It's still there, still working on Stefan.

For one frightening moment Damon has no clue what to do, then he does. He doesn't like it. But he can't think of any other way.

He's pulled out of his thoughts by Stefan shaking him. "Please, Damon, it _hurts_..." he chokes out, red-rimmed eyes staring miserably up at him. Damon is painfully reminded of a five year old Stefan, those same wide eyes looking up at him, trusting him implicitly to fix everything, make it better.

"Alright, alright, I got you. I got you. Just close your eyes. Come here." He pulls Stefan's head down to his shoulder again, keeping a steady hand on the back of Stefan's clammy neck. He smooths down Stefan's sweat-soaked hair with his free hand, stroking up and down, over and over again, hoping it might help calm him down.

He takes a deep breath and then with an easy twist of his hand, snaps Stefan's neck.

Stefan jolts a little at the action then goes completely limp against him, boneless; all the tension in his body leaving. Damon is left propping up his unconscious little brother's entire weight. He barely feels it though as he tilts Stefan's head back.

He looks like he's sleeping, the lines of pain etched on his face before gone, leaving behind smooth skin. Tear stains and split lips aside, Stefan is calmer, relaxed, eyes firmly shut and mouth partly open. He looks..peaceful. Unfortunately, Damon knows it won't last long. When he wakes up again, the compulsion will kick back in. But for now, for a couple of hours, Damon can at least offer him some rest. He deserve as much.

As he observes his brother, he's suddenly struck by how small and young and innocent his brother looks. There's no sense of ripper in him, not while he's unconscious like now. It's kind of strange how it hits him suddenly. Stefan's been a vampire for more than a century now, yes, but in the end, he's still just a seventeen year old boy. A jaded seventeen year old boy who saw too much, loved too easily, and died too young. And he dragged his older brother along with him because he didn't think he could do it alone. Because he was too afraid to do it alone. And who else was there to trust more than his own older brother?

Can Damon really blame him for that?

No. In a way, he understands. Growing up, all they had was each other. Their mother died when Stefan was young and their father didn't care about them enough to spend much time with them. So in the end, Damon was the one who taught him nearly everything he knew. He had been the one constant Stefan's had. Actually, come to think of it, he still is the one constant Stefan has.

So all this anger and hurt and bitterness he's been carrying around for Stefan all this time, how long does he plan to carry it with him? Does he really want to spend the rest of his eternity hating Stefan? Especially now, after all Stefan's done for him, all that he's suffering through? He's had them with him for so long it feels like they're a part of him. Does he really not have it in him to finally forgive and push all their violent history behind them and just move on?

Damon doesn't know. He really doesn't.

He studies his brother for a little while longer then heaves out a small sigh.

"Come on," he says tiredly. "Let's get you out of here."

Slowly, he heaves his brother over his shoulder, groaning slightly at the effort it takes. His brother is pretty damn heavy. Still, it's nothing he can't handle. He stands for a minute, arranging his brother more comfortably on his shoulder as he glances around. He doesn't like how quiet their surroundings are. It's just him and Stefan now. Everyone's gone, he can sense it and it leaves a kind of silence that's almost deafening. He doesn't want to stay here much longer. He's got a little brother to take care of.

Time to go home.

* * *

><p>Italian translation:<p>

_Il piccolo fratello, lei è sicuro. È appena me. È Damon._

Little brother, you're safe. It's just me. It's Damon.

_Sì. È Damon. Venire su, Stefan, aprire i suoi occhi. Lei è sicuro, prometto._

Yes. It's Damon. Come on, Stefan, open your eyes. You're safe, I promise.

_A casa, la cassaforte, il calore_

Home,safe,warmth

* * *

><p>Do you guys like it? Whatever your opinions are, I would love to know. So please, please review. Reviews keeps me motivated and makes me want to write more. so more reviews will probably mean more chapters. Haha. XP. Peace out!<p> 


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